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11 Jan 2013

A 2013 FOLKLORE FRIDAY FIRST: FELIS CATUS.

The cat was created when the lion sneezed

- Arabian proverb.

In Dutch it's Kat, in Swedish; Katt, in Italian; gatto, in Spanish and Portuguese; gato, in Polish; Kot, in Turkish; Keti, in German; die Katze, in Armenian; Kitta, in Chinese; mao, in Persian; pushak, in Lithuanian; puize, In Egyptian; mau.Described in Murray's Oxfod Dictionary as Felis catus, family Felidae (the cat family); it was probably domesticated in ancient Egypt from the local race of wildcat. MORENot so say both Hebrew and Arabian legends which claim that ......

the first cat appeared on Noah's ark when, after creating the ark, Noah and his children fearing the voracious appetite of the rats and mice prayed to God who, in response, caused the sleeping lion to produce a cat from his nostrils with a giant sneeze.

Hmm, not the only legend to surround the cat and Noah.Another old legend has it that .....

Cats were the only (domesticated) creatures on earth not to be created by God at the time of the creation BUT when God covered the earth with water and Noah set his ark afloat, the ark became infested with rats who, being rats, ate everything in sight.

Praying for a miracle, Noah was rewarded when two cats sprang to life from the mouths of the lion and lioness.

And according to Romanian folklore ....

When the day came for Noah and his family to go aboard the ark, Mrs Noah refused.

Shouting at his wife "You old devil, get on board" it is said the Devil took this as an invitation from Noah and planning to drown the family climbed aboard the ark in the form of a mouse.

And so, on seeing the mouse gnawing a hole in the ark, Noah threw his glove at it - the glove instantly turning into cat.

Three interesting stories, with such a connection with water it's hardly surprising that so many tails (excuse the pun) and superstitions surround the cat and the sea.

The Manx cat has no tail after on turning up late for the ark an impatient Noah shut the door trapping the cats tail.

Fishermen's wives kept black cats as they believed that they would prevent danger from occurring to their husbands. Indeed these black cats were considered so valuable that they were often stolen.

If a sailor was approached by the ship's cat it meant good luck. If, however, the cat came only half way it meant bad luck would befall the sailor.

Using a cat to predict sea voyages, sailors believed that a loudly mewing cat meant a difficult journey, a playful cat a journey with 'good' winds.

Mi-ki (tri-coloured cats) have long been taken on ships by Japanese sailors as they are believed to bring good luck.

TRANSLATE

LITTLE KITTY THE CAT BURGLAR {CHAPTER 1 WRITTEN BY YOURS TRULY}

THE MEMBER OF A VERY SPECIAL TRIBE.

A Geordie lass, rumoured to have been born with a paperback in my hand, I spend my days reading and reviewing books here on Pen and Paper. A lover of hedgehogs as well as cats, I also enjoy writing and receiving letters and am quite the movie buff. My taste in films almost as eclectic as my tastes in novels!

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ADOPTED 26TH APRIL 2014.

A GEORDIE LASS AN' PROUD OF IT.

As Douglas Adams almost said, ‘Far away in the uncharted backwaters of the once unfashionable North-East of England lies an often-unregarded civilisation. Orbiting this at a distance of a few hundred miles is the rest of the British Isles. The life forms inhabiting this area are often thought of as primitive as they still think wearing warm clothing is a pretty sissy thing to do.’

TIS TRUE, I ONLY HAVE A KITCHEN BECAUSE IT CAME WITH THE HOUSE.

THE READING LOG OF YOURS TRULY {APRIL 2009 TO THE PRESENT DAY} .....

CURRENTLY READING ... In Search Of Mary by Bee Rowlatt

LAST READ ... The Armstrong Girl A Child for Sale: The Battle Against the Victorian Sex Trade by Cathy Le Feuvre